[A bit of absurdity can salvage nearly any situation. She doesn't smile back and he never expects her too. Firing back is playing along well enough. He'll take it.]
Well, normal for me.
[He does flash her a smile of genuine mirth now. It dies shortly after. Still a lot of poison sitting in that gut of his, between Gamora's surgeries, the possible murder of her peers, and the shock of having his own skeletons tap dancing out of his closet.
Richie puts a hand over his eyes one last time. It stays put. His eyes are shut underneath.
When he and Ann Takamaki went strolling down memory lane, he passed off the clown in the picture as nothing more than a nightmare, and she'd bought it. But she was young, and that made all the difference. More likely to fight back effectively, yet more likely to die.
Gamora was not as young. Less likely to be a target, particularly considering her career. She's different. Too hard. It could still kill her if it decided she'd seen too much. He doubts she could kill It. Her lethal capabilities were too squarely in the land of the physical. If It came for her, she'd die relying on them.
no subject
Well, normal for me.
[He does flash her a smile of genuine mirth now. It dies shortly after. Still a lot of poison sitting in that gut of his, between Gamora's surgeries, the possible murder of her peers, and the shock of having his own skeletons tap dancing out of his closet.
Richie puts a hand over his eyes one last time. It stays put. His eyes are shut underneath.
When he and Ann Takamaki went strolling down memory lane, he passed off the clown in the picture as nothing more than a nightmare, and she'd bought it. But she was young, and that made all the difference. More likely to fight back effectively, yet more likely to die.
Gamora was not as young. Less likely to be a target, particularly considering her career. She's different. Too hard. It could still kill her if it decided she'd seen too much. He doubts she could kill It. Her lethal capabilities were too squarely in the land of the physical. If It came for her, she'd die relying on them.
He's still covering his face as he speaks.]
Gamora? Would you like to hear a funny story?